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The provincial health authority looked east for its latest leader, announcing Friday that health executive and nurse Vickie Kaminski will take the AHS reins, overseeing an organization at least ten times as large as the one she’s leaving behind.

Kaminski most recently held the CEO position at the Eastern Regional Health Authority in Newfoundland and Labrador, where she guided the agency through the fallout of a major breast cancer testing scandal.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen relationships with key stakeholders in Alberta and to create a health-care system that is open and responsive to all Albertans,” Kaminski said in a statement released by AHS on Friday.

She is scheduled to start on June 2 and has signed up for a three-year term, according to AHS, which posted her contract online on Friday.

As AHS chief executive, Kaminski is set to receive a base salary of $540,000, plus the “standard management and out of scope health benefits and pension benefits,” but isn’t allocated a car allowance, gym membership or other perks.

The contract reveals she’ll take in less than her predecessor, Dr. Chris Eagle, who earned a base salary of $580,000, and with non-cash benefits, received $833,000 in compensation in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

“I think her mandate is relatively simple but also extremely complex — it’s to create a health-care system that serves Albertans and that provides quality care in acute care services, in primary care, prevention, home care, just provides quality care to Albertans,” said AHS spokeswoman Colleen Turner.

“The organization is excited to move forward with her.”

Kaminski is the third permanent CEO at the health authority, following the initial appointments of Australian health economist Stephen Duckett, then Eagle, who was promoted to the top job from within AHS’ ranks when his predecessor departed under a cloud of controversy over wait times and political interference.

Eagle, in turn, stepped down in October 2013 in the wake of months of leadership tumult launched when Health Minister Fred Horne fired the entire AHS 10 person board following a standoff over executive year end performance pay.

The leadership shuffles continued, with Eagle’s interim replacement leaving the position after just one month on the job and two new interim co-CEO’s later appointed, leaving AHS open to criticism the constant restructuring came at the cost of stability in the system and focus on patient care.

In past months, AHS has also revamped its leadership structure in efforts to reduce bureaucracy and put in place a new executive compensation plan.

In Alberta, Kaminski will now oversee a budget at least 10 times as large as the $1.3 billion Eastern Health authority, and, with 104,000 employees, an organization with 10 times as many staff.

She moves west with a reputation for weathering health-care turmoil — she was appointed to her last job in the wake of controversy over flawed beast cancer testing at a St. John’s lab and led the health region through implementing changes recommended in the ensuing inquiry.

Kaminski is also credited with starting to whip the health region’s finances into shape following a report criticizing the organization for inefficiencies and undue costs.

Sandra Azocar of Friends of Medicare said she hopes Kaminski’s training as an RN means the new AHS boss will advocate for patients and front line staff.

“What we want to see is some real action and some real changes, not just somebody who is looking to focus on finding efficiencies and savings which ultimately result in front line cuts,” Azocar said.

Kaminski, a native of Sudbury, Ont, has more than 35 years of experience in the Canadian health-care system, including a stint as CEO at Sudbury Regional Hospital.

“Ms. Kaminski demonstrates a vision for health care that is aligned with our commitment to providing Albertans with high-quality care,” said a statement from AHS official administrator, Dr. John Cowell, on Friday.

“We are pleased to find an excellent Canadian leader. We are looking forward to her arrival and for her, in collaboration with the others on the leadership team, to continue to build a health system that is second to none.”

Kaminski is set to speak to reporters on Monday in Edmonton.

“I know that Ms. Kaminski shares my view that the most important role of the CEO and AHS’ senior management team is to ensure that our front-line health care workers have the support they need to continue to focus on what’s most important — patients,” Health Minister Fred Horne said in a statement released on Friday.

jkomarnicki@calgaryherald.com

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